1. Australia‘s Immigration Policy
Situation during the last 60 years
How are the illegal immigrants treated
Situation in Woomera
What does the Australian Government want

2. The last 60 years 50 000 permanent migrants per year
Mainly from Britain or New Zealand
Since 1945, 5.9 million people migrated to Australia
people came to Australia as legal refugees
Nearly every fourth Australian citizen was born in a different country

3. A multi-cultural nation
Australia provides thousands of resettlement places per year
This way Australia became the multi-cultural nation it is today

4. The treatment of illegal refugees
Australia‘s Government is very strict to illegal immigrants
This strategy is popular in the public
The Government got re-elected last year
They fear that releasing detainees into the community would only encourage more illegal immigrants to come

5. The detention camps
Illegal immigrants are put into detention camps, until their cases are assessed
It may take up to 2 years for their cases to be finalized
The detention camps are very isolated

6. The situation in Woomera
To protest against the conditions the mainly Afghan refugees in the detention camp of Woomera were refusing to eat for 15 days

7. The situation in Woomera
35 sew their lips together
200 of them were refusing to eat
9 teenagers threatened to kill themselves

8. What does the Government want?
The Australian Government thinks it is safe now for the Afghans to go back to Afghanistan
But ethnic minorities are still persecuted there
Australia would provide “generous compensation“
They think that would help to rebuild the country